Double Take
by ArmySFC
Summary: What happens when Chuck and Sarah meet under different circumstances? If their pasts were different, would it change their future? This was written from Nirvana12's idea by SeaJay28 and ArmySFC. Now with BDaddyDL for extra goodness!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This was written from Nirvana12's idea by SeaJay28 and ArmySFC. What happens when Chuck and Sarah meet under different circumstances? We don't own any of the characters from Chuck nor are we making any money off this. Beta'd by rockchick4jc. So grab a chair sit back and enjoy the ride! This first Chapter is a re-post; SeaJay28 has given me her permission to carry on with this story. I hope I can do it justice without her help.**

**A Tale of Two Runners**

May 15, 2007

Sarah Lisa Walker was just returning from her rewarding day at First Bank of America where she successfully negotiated a multimillion dollar business deal. She paid the driver her fare, exited the cab and entered the apartment complex, passing through the lobby to the elevators to complete her journey home. Her apartment was on the fourth floor facing the ocean.

Sarah was slightly taller than most women at five feet nine inches tall. She had long flowing blonde hair and legs that seemingly went on forever. She was the talk of the complex for many of the male tenants but remained and enigma for most people that shared her floor. She would rarely leave her apartment except to go to work or shopping. Men were rarely if ever seen entering or leaving her place and if they were it was always on the same day they arrived. Her job as a financial consultant for overseas investors allowed plenty of opportunities for travel outside of the country. Most people that met Sarah believed she was the perfect example of the girl you want to bring home to dinner and show to your family.

Sarah plopped down on the leather sofa in her living room and turned on the large plasma TV. She took a sip of her wine as she settled in to watch her favorite shows she had TiVo'd earlier in the week. She began to feel tired as the stress of the day slowly faded away. Within minutes she was in the state between being awake and asleep, she could still hear the TV but her mind was seeing something else…

_She was breezing through her senior year of college with a four point zero grade point average, when she came across an online ad for a rewarding career working with the Federal Government. She sent in her resume and waited for their response. She was contacted a few weeks later and invited to Washington for an interview. She was offered a position with the CIA as an Agent. Her new handler explained what her duties would be if she accepted the position as an agent._

_She would be used mostly for undercover work gathering financial information on businesses overseas that may pose a threat to national security by funneling money to know terrorist organizations. Because of her natural ability to track financial records and interface with people she would be working with a team at all times. These teams already had positions within the organizations they infiltrated. _

The ring tone from her cell interrupted her thoughts, and she struggled to reach it before it went to voice mail.

"Hey girl what's up?...The deal went down fine, but I would give it a few days before you make the move… Nothing like that! If you invest that much this soon, someone may get suspicious. Do it a little at a time but do it before the end of next week… Dinner on Friday? I suppose I can make it, will the hubby be there or just us girls?... Ok, see you then."

Still feeling the effects of the dream she got up and prepared for a long soak in the tub.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chuck Bartowski had finally finished moving into his new house just outside of San Diego. With the item on top of his to-do-list complete, he decided to move on the number two, finding places to work out and trails to run on. He still had a week to report to his new company, so this would be an ideal time to look. Many of the fitness centers in the area had indoor running tracks but Chuck preferred to run in the open air. He asked around and was given the names of several places that well known for having good trails to run on but also provided the runner with some excellent views to observe while running.

June 1, 2007

Chuck had just finished another grueling day hunched over his computer trying to work the last of the bugs out of the new software the company he worked for was trying to develop. He exited the bus he normally took to work and walked slowly down the street towards his small two bedroom ranch. Standing at four inches over six feet tall and weighing in at just over two hundred and thirty pounds Chuck looked like any normal person his age.

If you asked his neighbors about Chuck their replies would almost echo each other's. By all accounts he was the perfect neighbor, quiet yet easy to talk to, slightly reserved but would attend all the social functions the home owners association held. He kept the outside of his house in pristine condition often spending hours each weekend tending to his garden or manicuring the large bushes that surrounded his house.

His lawn was the pride and joy of not only himself, but the entire neighborhood, often receiving praise that it look like someone cut out a section of the outfield from PETCO Park. Chuck's job as a software program debugger meshed well with his outward appearance as a nerd. After a quick change of clothes he headed out for his nightly run.

Chuck arrived at the San Diego Bay Shore running trails for only the second time since he began his training again in earnest. His normal park was better suited for a fast paced run while this one was better for endurance. He was just starting the stretch of trail that offered a good view of the ocean. When he began to let his mind wander, it was a tool he used to relax and clear his mind of all the stress he encountered during the day. His mind drifted back to how it all began.

_Chuck entered Worcester Polytechnic Institute on an academic scholar ship during the fall of 1999; he fully intended to pursue a degree in electrical engineering. Everything in his life was just about as perfect as he could have ever hoped. At the beginning of his junior year Chuck began to hone his hacking skills by attempting to gain entry in a Government data base in response to bet he made with some of his frat brothers. _

_The intrusion was noticed immediately by the security programs that were in place to prevent these things from happening. The program sent an immediate alert to several of the intelligence agencies, who in turn sent agents to see who managed to get their secure system. The CIA was the first to arrive on scene, and they took Chuck into custody. _

Catching his foot on a rock Chuck stumbled slightly, he wasn't hurt, but it was enough to break him out of his inner musings. He collected himself and finished his run.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Chuck was currently resting in the first class section returning from Germany where he had to reprogram the software of his company's biggest client. One of their employees brought in a video on a flash drive that was infected with a virus that quickly spread through the company's mainframe doing considerable damage. Chuck saved what he could before wiping the system clean and installing the new software.

The upside to the trip was he sold the company's new virus protection software that was more advanced than the one they were currently using. After his second Jack and Coke his eyes closed and he fell into a deep sleep. The trip had stirred up memories long forgotten…

_Over the next couple of days the CIA agent sent to retrieve Chuck put him through a battery of tests to see what his hacking capabilities truly were. After watching Chuck hack into place after place and manipulate data like it was a walk in the park; he offered Chuck a job with them as a hacker and computer expert upon his graduation from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in exchange for his freedom. Chuck readily agreed to the offer and was returned to Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he graduated third in is class. He began to train with some of his friends from the football team, nothing major, just some light lifting and mild cardio; he was after all still a nerd. _

He was woken up by the announcement that the plane was on final approach and to prepare for landing. When he arrived home he was still full of energy so he headed out for a quick run to clear his head.

…

August 15, 2007 First Bank of America

"Excuse me Sarah," the voice of Sandy came from the open office door, followed by the owner of said voice "You just received a letter via FedEx and I thought I should give it to you right away. It's from Berkeley, isn't that where you went to school?"

"Since you seem to be a bit more excited than me, have a seat and we can see what they want." Sarah said with a hint of laughter lining her voice.

Together they opened the letter and found an invitation for an alumni dinner that was going to be held in November on the campus. It was for her and a date. Sarah shrugged mentally, _'just frigging great! Where am I going to get a date by then? I'm not taking any of the horn dogs from here.'_

"I'm sure it will be fun Sarah, in fact I know a guy that is perfect for you." Sandy smiled mischievously and Sarah could practically see the matchmaker wheels turning behind her eyes.

"Sandy I appreciate the offer, but I think I can find a date on my own. Now why don't you go get lunch for us and we can get on with our day?"

"I'll be right back with our usual," and she left Sarah's office.

Sarah looked at the far wall where her BA and Masters degrees currently resided. She closed her eyes and thought back to how she earned her degrees and what happened afterwards that got her to where she was today…

_She would continue her education and get her masters before being released for field duty. Her training would be less intense than most agents that went to the field for undercover work. Not because she couldn't handle it, but because she would never be sent on solo missions. Her handler explained to her that despite what most spy movies led people to believe it was only on rare occasions did the CIA ever leave an agent behind._

_It cost too much money to keep training and replacing agents. He also gave her his opinion of what a good spy was, to her handler a good spy was one that could do their job by collecting all the information they could and get out before the shit hit the fan without people knowing it was you that turned them in. Sarah Walker was too valuable of an asset to be tossed aside or put in danger. _

_She had been taking kick boxing classes since she was five, she'd did quite well in the competitions she'd entered in, even at such a young age, so the conversion to martial arts was fairly easy. They concentrated her training on bladed weapons that could be concealed easily and thrown accurately. _

_Upon completion of her masters Sarah was sent to the Defense language Institute for language training. During the two years she attended the DLI she picked up two languages fully and was able to get the basics of several others. After almost eight years of formal education she began her career just like every other financial expert, at the bottom and worked her way up._

_She was placed overseas in an entry level position where she transferred out just before the mission completed. Her missions were mostly the same just on a larger scale until she returned to the states after three years of moving around Europe. In 2007 she was hired on at First Bank of America as the head financial investment counselor for overseas investments. What they didn't know was that behind the quiet and peaceful exterior, she was a trained CIA agent. For the time being Andrea Cole was on sabbatical. _

Sandy brought back her lunch and continued on with the rest of her day.

September 11 2007

If there was one day a year that affected Chuck it was this day. He was currently standing in the crowd that was assembled at the Naval Station in San Diego paying tribute to the men and woman who died that day six years ago. Where ever he was in the world he paid his respects in whatever way he could. For the first time in years Chuck could pay tribute on American soil.

_He was just getting out of the shower when his frat buddies began screaming for him to come to the living room. There was panic in the voices that were calling to him. Chuck along with the rest of the country watched in horror as the events of September the Eleventh unfolded before their eyes. He was semi opposed to the taking of a human life but that day changed him forever. When the people on board flight 93 gave up their lives so that others could live he changed his views quickly_.

_Chuck made the easiest decision of his life that day, calling his handler and requested that he be removed from consideration as a hacker and instead be considered for a position as a field agent. He made it clear that if he couldn't be an agent he would rather be allowed to join the armed forces instead of serving the jail time. Several days later Chuck's handler met him and laid out the duties he would need to perform as a member of the CIA. _

_Chuck began his training in earnest the next week using the recommended gyms and Dojo's the CIA provided him. His weapons training was conducted at a local gun club with occasional trips to Twenty Nine Palms for his assault weapons training. Over the course of the next two years Chuck was paired with a senior agent and was involved in several short relatively easy missions stateside and overseas. They were easing the new agent into his role rather than just tossing him into field work like they had done in the past. _

_By the end of his senior year Chuck had mastered several of the military's Crew Served Weapons and held a black belt in several forms of martial arts. His biggest thrill was when he passed his snipers course. He was always the sniper when he played Call of Duty with his frat buddies. Upon graduation from Worcester Polytechnic Institute Chuck was sent to Quantico for the next phase of his training._

_He would be trained to defend and if necessary give up his life to protect dignitaries, both foreign and domestic. For six months he was assigned to several foreign dignitaries. Chuck's boyish looks and charm fooled a lot of people. He quickly ascended the ranks of the CIA's top agents, he could have been number one but he hated to do seduction missions unless it was a last resort. _

_When the ceremony completed Chuck got into his car and headed in to work. Unknown to the people he worked for the soft spoken well-mannered man was a trained CIA assassin. For the time being Sam Bradford was on vacation. _

September 17 2007 Balboa Park San Diego

Chuck exited his '07 dark blue Charger dressed in his usual running clothes. When he got to the beginning of one of the many trails used by runners and bikers alike, he started his stretching routine. He had been performing the same ritual for the past couple months since his last overseas mission ended and he returned home. Once he completed his warm ups he began his daily run.

On the upslope of one of the hills he over took a beautiful blond haired woman who's hair was pulled back in a loose pony tail and swung back and forth with each stride. Her long legs were eating up large chunks of trail with each stride she took. He could tell from looking at her legs she was an avid runner like he is. As he passed her by he gave her a small smile and a nod and continued on his way. Finishing his run at the same place he began Chuck began his cool down exercises and toweling down his now sweat covered head.

When he finished he paused for a few minutes to watch some of the other runners pass by. Coming down the trail was the blond he had passed earlier she was sweating and her hair had come partially out of the bun it had been earlier. He gave her a polite smile, waved and got into his car and drove off.

x-x-x-x-x-x

Sarah was at the midway point of her morning run when she heard footsteps behind her and coming up fast. A few short minutes later the sound of gravel crunching was almost upon her so she glanced backwards and a man about her age gaining on her quickly. What surprised her was he just gave her a small smile and head nod as he passed. No hello, no leering looks none of the normal male posturing she received on a daily basis. When he had passed her she got a good look him from behind.

He was several inches taller than she was and from her vantage point she could see the muscles in his legs working as he slowly but steadily pulled away from her. She could also make out his sculpted back and shoulders through his muscle shirt that was now soaked with sweat.

Going down the last part of the trail she approached the lot where her car was parked. She saw the tall curly haired man toweling off and making his way to a blue Charger. She was met with a warm smile and a small wave of the hand. He got into his car and drove off. His actions had her slightly confused. She had dealings with many men and he was the first one that actually looked at her like a person.

These interactions continued on for a couple weeks. Chuck always seemed to pass her by somewhere on the trail, no matter if she started her run five or ten minutes earlier or late he always passed her by. Sarah was just about the three quarters of the way through her run when she heard the foot falls that by now had become a morning ritual. The shared glances and locking of eyes had been getting longer and more frequent as the weeks went by. She was startled when a voice spoke up from behind her.

"Good morning miss…" Chuck paused in his question hoping to get an answer while not having to ask the question.

"Walker" Sarah replied in a winded tone.

"I'm Chuck, glad to meet you Miss Walker. I noticed, as I'm sure you have, we come here almost every day. Would it be ok if I joined for the rest of your run?"

"I'm sorry Chuck but I prefer to run alone."

"Not a problem Miss Walker, enjoy the rest of your run." Chuck flashed his warm smile and returned to his normal pace and pulled ahead and began to fade from her sight.

_What the heck is wrong with me? I turned down the chance to run with a hot guy and for what, to run by myself again? Well catching him is out of the question, I hope he is still there when I finish._

Chuck was just about ready to leave when he heard a very out of breath woman calling his name

"Chuck! hey Chuck, wait up a minute will you?" came the feminine voice from down the path.

"Hello again Miss Walker, is there something I can do for you?" while he was waiting for her reply he reached into his car and pulled out a bottle of water and handed it her. "You look like you could use this."

"Thank you," she replied, twisting the cap off the water bottle and taking a long drink from it. "I've been thinking about your offer of running with me. You asking to join me took me by surprise; normally guys don't ask they just fall in step with me until I ask them to leave."

"I would never think of intruding on your privacy, that's why I asked instead of just joining you." He again reached into his car and fumbled around for a few seconds. When he turned around he was holding a white gym towel that he passed to her. "Here you go Miss Walker; there is no sense for you to be dripping all over the place while we talk."

"Why do you keep calling me Miss Walker, Chuck?"

Sarah use to his smiles by now was amazed at the smile she was now getting from Chuck. His lips were pulled up towards his eyes and his lips parted slightly displaying a perfect set of brilliant white teeth. His brow furrowed slightly as well. Her only thought was _Oh…My…God_. He could light up a room with that smile!

Chuck let out a small chuckle, pausing a second to look into the blue pools of Sarah's eyes before he answered, "What else should I call you Miss Walker? I don't know your first name, and Walker doesn't seem to do you justice_." She is just too cute the way she looks right now._

Sarah chided herself silently_, I finally meet a nice guy and I'm acting like i have never talked to a guy before_. "Sarah, Sarah Walker," and she extended her hand towards him. Mimicking her actions but keeping his eyes locked on hers he extended his and grasped hers firmly in his. The second their hands touched they both felt something the thought they would never experience. Their palms began to tingle, like a small bit of electric current was passing between them. Sarah released his hand first still locked into the Chuck's deep brown eyes.

"Chuck Bartowski." He shook her hand, "Sarah Walker, it is a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to join me tomorrow morning for a run? I usually get here about five thirty or so."

"Really? I get here about the same time, so that would work perfectly. Let's say we meet here tomorrow morning at five thirty."

"That sounds great to me." Chuck replied, once again reaching out to shake her hand. "Until tomorrow then, have a great rest of the day!"

The hand shake was more firm this time, and to their surprise the tingle they both felt was there again like it was the first time.

Chuck climbed into his car and drove off. Sarah watched as his car disappeared into the early morning light.

She stood there in a slight state of shock because of what had just happened between them. She was not used to interacting socially with men, and to have a guy as nice and good looking at Chuck paying her attention was almost too much for her to handle. The number of serious relationships she had could be counted on one finger. That one ended because her boyfriend had trouble dealing with her constant travels around Europe. The thing that surprised her the most was that _tingle_ she felt both times she shook Chucks hand.

Unknown to Sarah, Chuck was having similar thoughts about Sarah. He had dated many women before but none ever had the effect on him that she did by just _shaking hands_. He figured an intense work out would help get his mind back in focus, so he made his way to the gym for his daily work out. After leaving the gym he headed off to work- another boring day of debugging software.

The next morning Chuck watched as a white Camry pulled into the lot and made its way over to where Chuck was parked. Sarah exited her car her long shapely legs immediately drawing the attention of Chuck's eyes. They lingered briefly before capturing eyes with his.

They exchanged hellos and began stretching. They were soon on their way around the trail. Because they were running, it was difficult to really get to know each other, but near the beginning of their run, they did manage to get a little idle chit-chat in.

"So," Chuck began breathlessly, "Where you from?"

"D.C," Sarah replied, "What about you?"

"Burbank. Born and raised." Chuck turned his head and smiled, "You're actually from DC? You look more like a west coast girl to me."

"Do you often stereotype, or just with tall blondes, Chuck?" Sarah teased, moving closer to him so she could nudge him in the ribs.

Chuck smiled, but disregarded the question. "What brought you to LA?"

Sarah brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and wrinkled her forehead, "Uh, work." She answered tentatively.

Chuck wondered why she was so hesitant to talk about it, but he didn't pry. Pretty soon the conversation died down and they just ran in silence.

The run seemed to be shorter with the two of them. When they returned to the parking lot, they stood there catching their breath for a few minutes. Then they stood there for a few minutes more. Pretty soon it was just awkward. Finally they said a brief goodbye and walked to their cars.

Just as Sarah opened her car door, she heard Chuck calling her name, "Sarah!"

She turned around, "Yeah Chuck?"

"I go running at the San Diego Bay Shore running trail once every other week. I'm going next Monday. You wanna come?"

Sarah stood in thought for a moment, "Sure I'll go. What time?"

"Let's say we meet here at five a.m. We can drive together." Chuck proposed.

When the day finally arrived for the run they met up at the arranged time. Sarah exited her car and joined Chuck in his. The left Balboa Park and a short time later they arrived at the San Diego Bay Shore running trails. It was a completely different style running trail than the one they used on a daily basis. There were more hills and steep inclines than Sarah was used to.

Chuck ever the gentleman let Sarah dictate the pace of the run. Sarah was moved once again at the consideration Chuck was showing her. It caused her a little bit of concern when a certain thought crossed her mind_. He's good looking, athletic, and well-mannered. He works for a good company. What's wrong with him?_

When the run finished they crabbed a bottle of water and toweled off. They were soon back where they started and just as Sarah was entering her car she turned back to Chuck and called out, "Thanks for taking me there. It was more of a work out than I normally get. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Till tomorrow then, Miss Walker." This was said with a teasing tone and a glint to his eyes that let Sarah know he was just tweaking her. They pulled out of the parking and headed their own separate ways.

**If ya'll like it let us know. Remember feed the Bard! It costs nothing!**


	2. trying for a date

**A/N: same disclaimers apply, I own nothing and make no money from it. **

The next few weeks were more of the same for Chuck and Sarah; they would meet each morning at the park and run together. As the days past by Chuck and Sarah began to open themselves up to each other about what went on in their daily lives. They began to learn more and more about each other's jobs, what types of music they enjoyed listening to. Chuck would hang back with Sarah for most of the run but at the end he picked up his pace and finished well ahead of her. Despite her competitive streak she saw the logic in why he ran ahead. After each run they would each go their separate ways. Chuck would head to the gym for his work out and several days a week Sarah would go to a dojo and work on her martial arts skills.

Sarah was getting ready to head to work when her secure phone rang.

"Cole secure"

"Cole its Grimes, I have a project you may be interested getting in on."

"What is it?"

"Project Omaha, the goal is to load all of our secrets into an agent's subconscious. When they see certain cues it triggers the program."

"Wait! You're talking about the intersect project? I worked on that when I was in training."

"I didn't know you were involved with the project."

"During my time off from the DLI they brought me back to help with it. I told them it sounded rather dangerous. What if it bakes their brains or something?"

"I'll send you all the information we currently have and update you as needed. If you opt in I'll make sure to pair you with a good agent."

"Send me the information and I'll look it over"

**Second week Oct 07**

It was an even more boring Wednesday than normal when Chuck got called into his supervisor's office.

"Morning Chuck, have a seat," Mr. Bowden said, motioning to the chair on the side of his desk. Chuck sat down and waited for his boss to continue. "Normally I wouldn't ask you to do this but we have a chance to make a major sale. First Bank of America is looking to upgrade some of their software. The job you did for that company in Germany earlier this year seems to be the key. Word got out about how good our firewall and virus software is and they used your name as the sales person. So I need you to go over there and see if we can land the account."

"Mr. Bowden, I'm not a salesman I'm just a guy that checks software for bugs. I don't think I'm the best person for the job."

"I'm not worried about you doing a sales pitch; they contacted us, our foot's already in the door. Here's your contact, you're expected there at one."

"I'll give it my best try Sir" replied Chuck as he rose from his chair and left the office.

After a quick lunch and a cab ride later Chuck was being escorted to the IT department manager's office. Chuck caught a glimpse of legs and a flash of blonde hair turning into one of the offices. Once inside the office he went over the firewall and demonstrated how fast he had breached the one they had in place. He opened a file he had created earlier in the day from his office and showed it to them. It contained various bits of financial data and copies of several employees' emails. After about an hour the crew emerged for the office and filtered away. Chuck was shown to the executive lounge to wait as the powers to be went over his proposal. While he was there, several of the females from the floor stopped in to get things out of the refrigerator and left shortly after they came in. That trend did not keep up for long as more and more women came to retrieve items and hang around chatting. When one of the woman brought up a subject chuck was familiar with he joined in the conversation.

Down the hall a pissed off Sarah was pulling up all of the bank's financial records making sure the intrusion was limited to just the one area and had not gone anywhere else. With all her CIA training and the skills she learned while working, she was concerned that something more devious was going on. With Sandy on break and her need for coffee increasing she made her way to the lounge. The closer she got she could hear the laughter of several women coming from the now open door. When she walked in she was startled at what she saw. Standing in front of her with his back to her was a tall man in a suit surrounded by her fellow female workers. He was moving his arms making some kind of animated motions, each one bringing more laughter from the sea of women surrounding him. As she stepped into the lounge she was greeted by a call from her assistant.

"Sarah! Sarah, come here you have got to meet this guy," Sandy was practically squealing as she made her way towards her. She grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the man. Sandy the tapped Chuck on the shoulder to get him to turn around, and when he did he got the shock of his morning. Standing before him was Sarah, looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. All he could do was stare into her eyes and smile. Sarah was just as dumbfounded as he was as she returned his gaze. Her breath hitched when she noticed who the center of attention was. She had seen lots of men in suits before, but damn he looked good. Sandy noticed the intense looks passing between the pair and spoke up first.

"Sarah this is Chuck Bartowski, Chuck this is my boss Sarah Walker."

Chuck continued to stare into Sarah's eyes as he reached out to take her hand in his, "Should I call you Sarah or would you prefer Miss Walker?" Chuck asked remembering the conversation they had when they first met. Chuck felt the same tingling feeling he had the last time he held her hand only this time it spread upwards and into his chest. Sarah wasn't doing much better than Chuck was, the tingling sensation had also spread to her chest but along with that she felt a sudden warmth that she never felt with her ex boyfriend. Slowly they let go of each other's hands and for some reason both got a small chill when their hands finally separated.

The conversation finished Sarah made her way to her office where she flopped down in her chair. Her mind was racing as she went over the last half hour. She was thrown off by how much an effect Chuck had on her today. Sure they were running with each other on a regular basis, nothing like that should lead to the powerful reaction she had today. She debated her options for several minutes then picked up a phone she hadn't used for several months. She dialed one of the analysts she knew at Langley.

"Hey Joe, its Andrea Cole and I need a favor."

"Sure what do you need?"

"I need you to run a complete back ground check on Charles Irving Bartowski, he works at Vanguard Software in San Diego."

"You got something on him? Should we send somebody out to keep an eye one him till you get what you need?"

Sarah let out a small chuckle before she answered, "It's nothing like that Joe, I just need to make sure he's clean and not on anybody's radar. We have a tentative date scheduled and before I accept I need to be sure."

"It's about time you started dating again, that last guy was a dud."

"Come on Joe you know how hard it is for us in this business. The good thing about this guy is he travels like I do so he'll understand when I have to go away. Send anything you find to my secure email and I'll check it when I get home."

"Will do and best of luck."

Meanwhile across town another similar conversation was taking place.

"Waltrip secure."

"Bradford Secure, I need you to run a check on a Sarah Lisa Walker. I want to take her out this weekend and she needs to be clean."

"No problem Sam, it's about time you got back in the saddle. I'll let you know when I have something."

"Thanks Brian, Bradford out."

The next morning the couple could be found running as they did everyday during the week. About a quarter of the way through the run Chuck began to speak.

"Sarah, do you have any plans for the Friday after next?"

"Nothing is on my schedule that I know of why?"

"I know this great Italian place near my house and I was hoping you would like to have dinner with me."

"Only if you throw in a movie afterwards," Sarah replied.

"Great, I'll let you know next week what time I'll pick you up. Are you ready to pick up the pace a bit?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." _Besides getting to know a great guy I'm in the best shape of my life._

The week continued on, both of them waiting for the weekend and the end of another week. Chuck was looking forward to playing in a two man beach volleyball tournament on Saturday while Sarah was anxiously waiting for the spa day she planned with several of the women from work. Saturday ended well for both parties with Chuck's team coming in fourth and Sarah having a great day at the spa. Sarah's week ended on a down note, she was contacted by her handler that she would be needed for a short two week mission. Her mission was to review the books and make sure the bank was no longer funneling money to terrorist cells, like they had in the past. Her cover was she represented a larger bank interested in taking over the struggling smaller firm. She would be leaving the next morning, but did not have to be at the building till Wednesday, allowing her some rest after the long flight. She began packing her bags in preparation for her trip, making a quick call to Chuck's office leaving him a voice mail explaining she need to go on an unexpected trip for her job to the east coasts main office.

**First week of Nov 07**

Chuck arrived at the running park like he did every morning only today he had an air of happiness around him. He had received word from Dennis that Sarah was clean as a whistle with no ties to any known agencies nor did she have a criminal record or shady past. When she didn't show up he began his run at a slightly faster pace than usual wondering if the events of last week were too much for her and she wanted to tone things down until after they had dinner. He pushed himself through a grueling workout after the run as well. When he finally arrived at work and found one message on his voice mail. He picked up the phone and listened to what it had to say.

"Chuck, its Sarah, I got a call last night and I have to go out of town on Monday. It seems Congress is trying to push through some new financial reforms and we're trying to be proactive on meeting their requirements. I'll be gone about two weeks and I would love to have dinner with you when I return. I'll call you when I get back." And the message ended. Just hearing Sarah's voice would have brightened up his day, but knowing that he had a date when she got back was like a ray of sunshine cutting through the clouds on a rainy day. Later that day Chuck's secure phone rang for the first time in months.

"Bradford Secure"

"Grimes secure, it's been a long time Sam. How's life been treating you?"

"It's going good Morgan, but I doubt that you called me to ask about my personal life. What's the mission?"

"Always straight to the point huh Sam, I always did like that about you. I reinserted one of my other agents where she got her start with the company. This agent is not to work alone so I always assign her to a team. One of the men that have been on site for years blew out his knee over the weekend and won't be able to assist if things go south. I need you to stay in the background on this one. If anything happens get her ass out anyway you can even at the cost of yours."

"You're sending an agent in that can't protect herself, seems kind of risky to me Morgan."

"I can't tell you much about her but she's the best at what she does. She has a unique skill set that few people do, and I have to protect that. She's more like an analyst than an agent. She hasn't even popped a guy yet, and I'm not sure if she can. That's why I need you there as back up."

"Not a problem Morgan, send her information my way and I'll look at it at home before I head out. On a personal note however, I met a woman and asked her out. I already ran the back ground checks and she's clean, not a mark anywhere on her records."

"It's about time Sam, I'm happy for you. You were dark for a long time so have a great time with her and I hope it works out for you."

"Thanks Morgan, I'm out." And he ended the call with a final thought, _huh that was easy._

**Almost two weeks later**

Since his arrival in Denmark, Sam had been keeping a close watch on Andrea Cole. She was a tall brunet about five feet eight, with a very attractive build. Whenever she left the building and ventured around town he was always with in fifty feet of her. He was getting daily reports on how the mission was going and he sent in reports of anything he thought was suspicious. He was in constant contact with her team, even though he never met with any of them.

With the nature of his mission, Sam used a different disguise everyday to remain unnoticed. Andrea may not be a field agent in the true sense of the word, but he did not want her spooked if she saw the same man day after day following her. The disguise he chose for today was that of a middle age man with grey hair and slightly overweight build. He added glasses and a beard to further keep him unrecognizable. He was sitting on a bench watching Andrea Cole and company as they made their way across the open court yard. He noticed immediately that something was off, Andrea was not walking with the normal confidence she normally did. Instead she was shuffling along turning her head side to side as if she was looking for somebody. The two men she was normally with were standing closer than they did every other day.

Sam jumped off the bench and began making his way over to the trio. His earwig came to life and one of the agents assigned to Andrea came to life and a raspy voice saying they had been compromised and to get the extraction team there ASAP. A few short painful breaths later the earwig went dead. He quickly removed his favorite knife from its hiding place as he advanced toward Andrea and a quickened his pace. The knife was held in his right hand and covered by a news paper he was pretending to read on the bench. He decided quickly to take out the man on the right whose arm was wrapped around Andrea's waste pulling her along.

When he got close enough he feigned a stumble and came into contact with the first man. He tilted the knife to the correct angle and drove it into the man's back just above the kidney and below the ribs. The blade of the knife bisected the lung and perforated the pulmonary artery resulting in almost instant death. When she felt the man holding her suddenly let go she made her break and attempted to get away. She wasn't that lucky. The second man grabbed her arm and held on to her wrist spinning her around. She saw nothing but malice and hate in the eyes staring back at her. Suddenly the arm fell away and the man dropped to the ground on his knees. Blood was soaking through his jacket, around the area of his arm pit, at an alarming rate. She knew that the biracial artery must have been severed and she glanced at the man who went down first. A large pool of blood was already on the ground spreading in all directions from his prone form. The last thing she saw before her extraction team herded her into the waiting vehicle was the back of a middle aged man disappearing from the courtyard.

A few hours later Andrea was a plane back to the states and away from carnage she had seen a few hours ago. All she wanted to do when she got back was have a stiff drink and take a long soak in her tub. She debated calling Chuck but couldn't come up with a way to tell him two guys tried to kidnap her.


	3. Hang over screw up

**A/N: Well here you go. I am now writing this with BDaddyDL, yea us! He's a mean dude so you guys better review. If not he'll come after me and it will get messy! Hope you like it, let us know!**

**3) hang over screw up.**

Sarah barely shut the door when her phone started ringing.

"Cole secure."

"Grimes secure. Omaha is a go."

"Morgan you need to convince them to call it off."

"No can do. The list of agents scheduled to be tested is being put together as we speak."

"Forget the damn list Morgan! They have no idea what will happen when they up load the data."

"Zarnow knows that. He plans to run some tests before they continue with the project. If all goes well you'll be getting paired with an agent Williams."

"I don't have time to argue with you. Cole out." Sarah quickly dialed a number she hadn't use in years. When the operator answered Sarah requested a secure line with Zarnow. When he finally answered Sarah went on the offensive.

"Dr. Zarnow you can't go through with this crazy plan of yours! You know the risk. What it can do"

"Cole? Calm down a second will you?"

"No I won't calm down. This whole project is going to get someone killed for no good reason! I saw the original program. It won't work!

"We fixed those issues. We're ready to go to the next step."

"Look, Dr. you know what I can do. Let me take a look at it before you go on. It can't hurt."

"We won't be ready for about a year. When we get six months out we're going to call in the agents and test them. If they don't meet the standard, we'll replace them."

"Make me a deal. I'll come out in five months and check the program. If it's ok you move on. If not you fix it."

"If it will keep you from calling me again and chewing me out, by all means." Sarah heard a deep breath and then he said "Zarnow out." Sarah then got ready for her date.

Chuck arrived at Sarah's condo exactly on time. He was dressed in jeans and a button down shirt that was snug around the arms. Standing outside the door holding a small bouquet of flowers, Chuck nervously shuffled his feet as he rang the bell. _Pretend it's a mission, pretend it's a mission_ echoed in his head as he waited for Sarah to answer the door.

Sarah was putting the final touches of her makeup on when the bell rang. Giving her outfit of jeans and a loose fitting sweater a final look, she made her way to the door. She a greeted Chuck with a smile, taking the flowers he offered her. Lowering her head to the flowers and taking in a deep breath, Sarah said "Thank you Chuck, these smell divine." She then turned back into her apartment.

"Give me a sec. I wanna put these in some water." She turned and headed inside. She returned a few minutes later and they left. When the elevator doors were partially open a man jumped out almost colliding with them. Sarah deftly moved to her left avoiding the rushing man.

"That happen often?" Chuck motioned with his thumb at the retreating man.

"Not since I lived here"

"Shall we?"

It was a short trip to the Italian place Chuck had picked out. When the waiter handed a Menu to Sarah and not Chuck she raised an eyebrow and asked. "You don't need a menu?"

"I come here all the time, so I know what's good"

"Well then what do you recommend?"

"I love the veal parm with a side of spaghetti and the house salad."

"Ok, you talked me into it. If it's that good, how could I not?"

They spent the entire meal filling each other on how their jobs were going. Sarah had closed several deals during the week, and Chuck finally finished a long project he had been working on. He also informed her that he was working a video game. It was a dream of his left over from his youth. When the check came, Chuck paid and the two made their way to car. Chuck then took her to a small intimate club that featured a piano bar and soft lighting. They spent most of the night dancing or listening to the music. As the pianist came on for his last set, Chuck noticed Sarah try and stifle a yawn.

"I'm starting to get tired, let's say we get out of here?" suggested Chuck. Sarah looked over at Chuck and raised her brow slightly. She'd been observing him most of the night, and he still no signs of being tired. He again showed her something that had been missing in her life for a while, consideration. She was continually getting surprised by Chuck. He never made any grand gestures, it was his doing little things for her that she valued the most.

"If I forget to say it later, I had a great time tonight," Sarah said.

After arriving back at the condo Chuck walked Sarah to her door. After she unlocked it she turned to face Chuck. She took a step forward and pulled him into a hug. They stood motionless for a few seconds before Chuck lowered his head to hers. She began to move her head towards his at roughly the same time. Chuck paused for a second hoping he was making the right choice. When her head began to move closer he closed the gap and his lips met hers. It was soft and tender at first, then deepened into something more. The tingling feeling they got when they had touched for the first time was back. This time it wasn't limited to just the extremities. It spread like a wild fire that felt like it was highly combustible.

Chuck broke the kiss first and placed his head on her shoulder. Tightening the hug a bit more he again looked into her eyes.

"Sarah, I know this isn't proper dating etiquette, but would you like to go out with me again?"

This time it was Sarah who rested her head on his chest. She was drawn to his radiating warmth and heard the beating of his heart. Without lifting her head she replied, "Is tomorrow soon enough?"

"It's perfect. I have a tournament tomorrow at the bay, but after that I should be free."

"Tournament?" she asked pulling away slightly to see his face.

"My buddy and I are playing in a beach volleyball thing tomorrow."

"Can I come and watch? I could get some sun," she asked in a hopeful voice.

"It starts at noon. So…how bout I pick you up around eleven?"

"Great! I'll be ready." Sarah lifted her head and standing on her toes, gave him another kiss before breaking up the hug. After saying good night, she entered her condo. Chuck remained behind until he heard the lock on the door being turned. As soon as he heard a click he felt his knees go wobbly. After a deep breath he turned and made his way to his car, his thoughts still on the feeling of the last embrace. It had been years since he felt like this. It was after he dropped his first real date at her house. He was sure that she was one for him, but it was not to be. After tonight he understood how powerful you're first meaningful kiss could be. He made his way home and climbed into bed. As visions of a tall blond woman still lingered, his last thoughts before being carried off to a blissful were short.

_Best. Date. Ever._

Clicking the locks, Sarah made her way to the bedroom still enjoying the lingering effects of the kiss. Nestled in her bed she wondered why tonight seemed so special. He didn't try to impress her with a fancy dinner, or an upscale club. He was nervous asking for another date. Chuck surprised her at every turn. She had never had a man considered her wants and needs as much as Chuck did. Despite his good looks, Chuck did not have the attitude of one. He was down to earth and well grounded. As her eyes closed for the last time tonight her mind conjured up visions of what Chuck would look like shirtless. Her final thoughts, c_an this get any better?_

Sarah's plan of getting sun vanished shortly after the matches began. She selected a section of beach just behind the stands. From her vantage point she could look out over the ocean and see between the stands to watch the matches as they took place. More people began to arrive and the stands quickly filled up. The last match of the first round was set to begin. As the competitors made their way onto the court, soft cheers began to spread through the crowd. Unable to see the match she moved to the stands and took the open seat on the end of the second row.

There was Chuck wearing a dark blue pair of board shorts and nothing else. His muscular back and sculpted abs were now on full display. _Hot damn! So much better than the dreams. _Her musings were cut short when she felt a poke in the ribs. She turned to see who her poker was. Standing next to her was a tall redhead wearing the skimpiest bikini she had ever seen.

"I know that look," quipped the redhead.

"What look?"

"The I want Chuck look."

"Huh?" questioned a befuddled Sarah.

"Scoot over Blondie so I can sit," the redhead said at the same time she was pushing Sarah down the bench.

"It's Sarah reds, not Blondie." Sarah began taking a long drink from her water bottle.

"Carina, now as I was saying. The tall completely edible piece of man candy you were drooling over is gay."

The water Sarah was attempting to swallow immediately reversed direction and came out of her mouth spraying the people in front of her. She began to apologize to the woman she had sprayed, but they just waved her off.

"Gay?" she managed to choke out.

"Yep. See all the chicks in the stands? Every one of us has asked him out and nadda. Zip. I'm giving it one last shot today, hence the bikini."

"All of you?" _he's gay? After that kiss, there is no chance._

"Shocked aren't you? What a waste of male flesh. He's so hot that we wonder what his boyfriend looks like."

The two women continued talking as the game progressed. The match was getting heated with both sides taking and losing the lead. By now the stands were erupting with cheers when ever either team scored a point. All of the men were now covered in sweat making their muscles glisten in the sunlight.

"Wouldn't just love to rub your hands all over that body?" all Sarah could do was nod her head in agreement.

Just before lining up to serve for match point Chuck looked over to the stands. He located Sarah and gave her a big smile. The ball was flying back and forth at a furious pace until Chucks partner set him up for the perfect spike. Chuck drove the ball to the back of the box out of reach of the opposing team. The stands erupted with cheers for both teams.

Carina turned to excuse herself when she saw Sarah had left and was jogging across the sand toward the court. _This can't be good…_

Sarah was standing and cheering wildly with the rest of the fans when the ball hit the sand. Something came over her that she couldn't explain and didn't bother to question. She jumped off the bench and headed towards Chuck. When she got close to him her pace quickened. He had a huge grin on his face and lifted his arms slightly. Sarah took that as an invitation to get close and she did.

Chuck engulfed her in a hug then did something that shocked both of them. He lifted her off her feet and attacked her lips with his own. Sarah was mildly shocked at first then returned the kiss with fervor. A collection of groans could be heard coming from the stands. When the kiss ended Chuck lowered Sarah gently to the sand not letting her go. He placed his forehead against hers and whispered softly. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me."

"Don't ever say you're sorry for kissing me. Got me mister?"

"Yes ma'am" the sound of a throat clearing could be heard coming from behind Sarah. Chuck looked up and turned Sarah so she was facing the same way. Carina was standing there with a shocked expression on her face.

"So I guess you're not gay. And you missy, letting me go on like that. You both should be ashamed of yourselves for leading us all on."

"Carina what are you talking about? And who's gay?" questioned Chuck.

"I'll explain later," explained Sarah as the trio made their way to the bench where Chuck left his stuff.

"Before you embarrass me, I'm going to get out of here."

"No, stay. I was going to ask Chuck to take me to lunch. I'd like you to join us, if it's ok with Chuck."

"Fine by me." Chuck said before turning to the redhead. "Carina?"

"I'm game. But why do you want me to come along? Don't you want him all too yourself?"

"I'm fairly new around here and don't know many people. You seem like a nice person so why not."

"Come on ladies I'm hungry and need a shower. You two can get to know each other over lunch."

Lunch was a pleasant affair with Carina and Sarah getting to know each other. Carina was a neurologist at Mercy General. She spent several years assisting in the ER as an intern. Both ladies got along so well that Chuck was pretty much along for the ride. By the end of lunch the trio was laughing and joking like they had known each other for years. Sarah and Chuck privately talked over the change in plans for the night. With the three of them having so much fun it was decided that Carina would join them for a night of dancing and bring some of her friends. Much later that night when the exhausted couple reached Sarah's condo they exchanged some more mind blowing kisses.

The weeks passed by quickly. Fridays were set aside as date nights and Saturdays were group nights. Chuck had to go out of town for business several times, letting Sarah and Carina become better friends. On several occasions Sarah and Carina had to fend off the groups of men they tended to attract. Carina finally accepted a dinner invitation from a Doctor she had interned with. They began to go on dates together and meet up during the week for quiet little get-togethers.

Several months later Chuck returned from an overseas trip. Sarah was waiting for him as usual at the terminal when he arrived. He had a bandage over his eye and his arm was in a sling. His normal strong gate was missing as he limped towards her. On instinct she ran to meet him and pulled him into a hug. A loud moan escaped from his lips as he tried to hold in the pain.

Sarah instantly stepped away from Chuck and really examined him. "Baby, what happened to you?"

Chuck looked away from her and said "Sarah, it's not that bad. The taxi I was in got slammed into by a truck."

She became instantly aware as she looked up and down Chuck to make sure there were any other visible injuries. "Why didn't you tell me?"

A huge smile that warmed her insides erupted on Chucks face. He reached out and moved her bangs out of the way of her face. "Aww baby, I just didn't want you to worry. Besides, the damage was done, and if I talked to you about it, I couldn't give you the great news. I have been given two weeks of recovery time."

"Two weeks?"

"That's not the pest part in a few days we are off to Cabo. All expenses paid."

The look of concern was exchanged for a lewd smile. "Mr. Bartowski what do you want to do there?"

Chuck leaned in and brushed his lips against hers before whispering in her ear. "Make you forget your name."

**CIA/NSA combined special projects laboratory Ft Meade, Md**.

"Jones, you have the list of candidates for project Omaha ready?"

"Right here doctor. Should I send the email telling them to come in?"

Doctor Zarnow looked through another file before realizing he had been asked a question. "Yes, but under no circumstances should you send the files. We aren't sure of the results yet. Agent Andrea Cole needs to be called as well. Remember Agent Cole. She was on the project when it started. She also needs to review and approve the project before we begin. I need to be there to monitor them during the process." Ending the conversation the doctor left the room.

Three minutes later Jones checked the clock on the wall and noticed the time, "Damn. Hey Frank I need you to do me a favor."

"What is it?" he snapped.

"Easy big guy. It's not my fault your ass is hung over again. I need you to send an email for me. I have a meeting in like five minutes. Send it to the people in the Omaha group. Don't send the attachment. The message is on the desk."

"Got it. Now go." Frank answered as Jones left the room and headed to his meeting with the director.

Frank took a seat at the desk and began typing. His head was still pounding and his vision slightly blurred. The after effects of last night's binge were still bothering him. _Let's see, Omaha, select. Where's that message? Here we go. mmm __**Project is a go. Report in Monday details to follow. **__Now he said to attach a file. I wonder what one it is? _

_AH here it is, Omaha. Attach and send. Done. Now to go hide out and catch a nap._ The message was sent to thirty agents located around the world. None of them were currently on missions. They were held back so when the time came to begin the project they could report in quickly.

Over the next couple hours across the world the email was being opened and read. The results were the same. Death or instant insanity followed shortly after opening it. The mistake was found out too late to prevent most of the incidents from occurring. Handlers were called when the news broke.

Chuck was seated at his computer going over his old mission reports when the chime sounded alerting him had an email. He pulled up the email and was poised to open it when his secure phone rang. With the mouse in one hand and the phone in the other, he answered.

"Bradford secure" and he clicked on the play button.

The phone fell out of its owners hand and dropped to the floor. The only sound in the room was the voice on the other end of the phone screaming, "SAM, SAM… DON'T open it! Damn it Sam!…come on…answer me. SAM! …"


End file.
